As U.S. President Barack Obama mulls over the fresh round of economic sanctions against Russia and the military aid to Ukraine that the American Congress has recently approved, Russia is showing signs that it is ready to meet pressure with force.

Russia and China has signed a series of deals to reduce the effects of Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis. A second natural gas pipeline is being negotiated and the final details are expected in 2015.

Russia continued to adopt a strong stand against a definitive new round of economic sanctions to be imposed by the European Union. It has even warned that should the body push through with the new list, it will bar western airlines from its airspace effective immediately.

Despite doubts of many smartphone analysts of today that the Russian smartphone Yota will have a hard time keeping up with all the other popular phones of today, it still pushed through with its launch. The company has their hopes high into making a big break in the foreign market as they hold on with their double-sided screen feature as their cutting edge.

Lady Gaga is following the footsteps of pop star Madonna in creating controversy. The singer took to Twitter on Monday to slam the "criminal" Russian government laws against the gays and lesbians in the country.

The clickety clack of typewriters - a sound unknown to today's generation who grew up on PCs, laptops and now tablets - will soon be heard again. At least in Kremlin as a precautionary measure against Wikileaks and government workers like Edward Snowden who spill the beans.

Australia's sharemarket shed 2 per cent on Monday over investor worries on the Cyprus bailout problem. The All Ordinaries index declined 101.9 points or 1.99 per cent at 5,027.4, while the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index dipped 104.8 points or 2.05 per cent at 5,015.4.